Noussair Mazraoui believes a shift in his mentality was crucial to him finding his way in the professional game, and ultimately ending up in the Premier League at Manchester United. (More Football News)
Mazraoui joined United in August, after ཧa spell with Bayern Munich following a successful stint at Ajax❀, where he worked under Erik ten Hag.
The full-back has turned in som♓e bright displays in the early days of his United career, and ahead of Saturday’s clash with struggling Southampton, th♔e 26-year-old reflected on his career path so far.
"When I became older and more mature, it was still, yeah, almost 50-50 [whether I would make it]," he said in an interview with Inside United. 🍌"I went and played professional football without a contract. And, what you said, it was do or die because, at that moment, you com🏅e to the point of no return.
"It’s either you go for it fully or that🤡’s it. You will just make steps upwards or, from there on, it could be the end of your career, but you cannot even say your career as it was not even at the beginning.
"So that was a li💧ttle bit the case when I became 18 or 19 years old and, from there on, s🍸omething in my head just switched.
"I didn’t look back anymore. I 🀅just looked forward. I had a goal and that wa📖s to fight for a contract and to be a professional footballer because I was just so close, I could smell it. And, yeah, if you don’t make it, it would be that you will regret that for the rest of your life. And I wouldn’t want to live with that. "
A sorry 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool saw United head into the 🌺international break with a whimper, and on the back of two straight Premier League losses.
But a match against one of the only two winless teꦚams in the Premier League as it stands surely presents a great opportunity for United to get back on track in Saturday's early kick-of🃏f.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale
New Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, signe🐷d from Arsenal on deadline day, is set to make his home debut at St Mary's.
Since keeping a clean sheet in his first Premier League game against United while at Bournemouth in November 2019, the Englan🌳d international has conceded in each of his last eight games against the Red Devils. His 19 goals conceded in these games is the joint-most he’s shipped against any opponent in the competition (also 19 v Liverpool).
Manchester United – Joshua Zirkzee
Zirkzee scored and assisted in the Netherlands’ 5-2 win ov𝕴er Bosnia-Herzegovina last week, and will now be looking to keep up the momentum on his return to club fo♍otball.
The forward netted the winner when Uni꧅ted beat Fulham 1-0 in the opening match of the season.
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN UTD WIN
United have lost as many as two of their first three league games in a season for the second time under Ten Hag (also 2022-23), as many times as they👍 had in their previous 29 campaigns combined (2018-19 and 2020-21). They last lost three of their first four back in 1986-87.
Southampton were beaten 3-1 at Brentford last time out. Th♔ey are now on 399 Premier League defeats, from 927 matches, and are on the brink of becoming the fifth team to lose as many as 400 games in the competition, and in the f🍨ewest amount of fixtures (West Ham 976, Aston Villa 1,072, Newcastle 1,090, Everton 1,128).
Southampton are look♒ing to avoid becoming the first team to lose each of their first four in three different Premier League seasons, previously having done so in 1998-99 and 2012-13 (the last time they were a promoted side).
United, meanwhile, have scored around thr෴ee goals fewer than their xG suggests they should have so far this season (two goals from 5.2 xG), the biggest such difference in the competition this term.
Errors have been a huge thorn in the side of both these teams. Southampton (four) and United (three) have made the most errors leading to a goal in the Premier League so far this season. Indeꦕed, all three of the goals the Red Devils conceded in their loss at Liverpool last time out came via errors, the first time on record they have ever committed as many in a single Premier League match (since 2007-08).
United are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games against Southampton (W7 D5) since a ꦚ1-0 loss in August 2003, so while they may be out of form, there is reason for Ten Hag to be confident.
In fact💝, Sout🍌hampton are winless in their last 14 Premier League meetings with United (D8 L6) since a 1-0 away win in January 2016.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 23.6%
Man Utd – 52.25%
Draw – 24.2%
